Is it important that you like the stories you edit?

[LrseFauc]

Hello editors,

I'm curious: Is it important or necessary, that you like the stories you edit?

Looking forward for anwers...

 

[PennLady]

I don't think so. Sometimes it may be better to not be so invested in a story, you can keep a more objective eye on it. If you are looking for continuity problems, plot holes, etc., along with punctuation, it doesn't matter to me if I like it.

 

[_Lynn_]

I agree with PL. When someone becomes too focused on the story for enjoyment, there's a good chance they won't catch the errors.

 

[LadyVer]

It's very important. I won't edit a story I don't like. It wouldn't make any sense. I would be working on something that that doesn't give much internal or external incentive.

An editor can like a story and remain unbiased and focused.

 

[_Lynn_]

It's very important. I won't edit a story I don't like. It wouldn't make any sense. I would be working on something that that doesn't give much internal or external incentive.

An editor can like a story and remain unbiased.

The incentive is helping others to improve their writing skills.

 

[LadyVer]

The incentive is helping others to improve their writing skills.

For me, it's much easier to do that while liking the story. My primary function as an editor, though, isn't to improve a writer's skills. It's to edit the story. And some writers think their writing doesn't need improvement. If I'm going to read a story multiple times as an editor, liking the story helps. And I realize that everyone has their own way of doing things.

 

[_Lynn_]

For me, it's much easier to do that while liking the story. My primary function as an editor, though, isn't to improve a writer's skills. It's to edit the story. And some writers think their writing doesn't need improvement. If I'm going to read a story multiple times as an editor, liking the story helps. And I realize that everyone has their own way of doing things.

In the past, I worked with a large number of new writers. If they didn't learn from the edits, they made the same mistakes in each story they wrote. When they learned punctuation, grammar, etc., their stories improved, and they took more pride in their work.

 

[LadyVer]

In the past, I worked with a large number of new writers. If they didn't learn from the edits, they made the same mistakes in each story they wrote. When they learned punctuation, grammar, etc., their stories improved, and they took more pride in their work.

I try not to edit for new writers, unless their writing and formatting shows experience and knowledge, and they don't whine about edits. No matter how I try to explain punctuation, grammar, formatting, etc., to new writers, most of them don't want to hear it. My thinking is they need to find an editor who doesn't care about these issues either. Some writers don't even want to read the Lit submission guidelines and volunteer editor guidelines and tips before submitting a story.

 

[_Lynn_]

I try not to edit for new writers, unless their writing and formatting shows experience and knowledge, and they don't whine about edits. No matter how I try to explain punctuation, grammar, formatting, etc., to new writers, most of them don't want to hear it. My thinking is they need to find an editor who doesn't care about these issues either. Some writers don't even want to read the Lit submission guidelines and volunteer editor guidelines and tips before submitting a story.

I see.

 

[PennLady]

It's very important. I won't edit a story I don't like. It wouldn't make any sense. I would be working on something that that doesn't give much internal or external incentive.

An editor can like a story and remain unbiased and focused.

Certainly an editor can like a story and still be objective, I never said otherwise. However, I think you can also not like a story and be objective, and the incentive is that you are helping a writer improve their story. Even if you don't like a plot, you can still point out inconsistencies, or punctuation issues, or whatever. I've edited a number of stories that I wasn't crazy over, for numerous reasons, but my incentive was that I could still help someone out.

Of course we're all doing this on our own time, and I think it's fine to have limits on what you'll take or deal with, whether it's writing ability to subject matter. I don't like to edit non-con or incest or some fetishes, for example, because I don't like those subjects.

 

[LadyVer]

Certainly an editor can like a story and still be objective, I never said otherwise. However, I think you can also not like a story and be objective, and the incentive is that you are helping a writer improve their story. Even if you don't like a plot, you can still point out inconsistencies, or punctuation issues, or whatever. I've edited a number of stories that I wasn't crazy over, for numerous reasons, but my incentive was that I could still help someone out.

Of course we're all doing this on our own time, and I think it's fine to have limits on what you'll take or deal with, whether it's writing ability to subject matter. I don't like to edit non-con or incest or some fetishes, for example, because I don't like those subjects.

People are going to edit what they want to. Everyone is different. For me, I've learned it doesn't make sense to edit a story I don't like and don't feel would be a good fit--whether it's because of the category, plot, mechanics, or author's style. I've also found it harder to be objective over a story that I have a problem with, but that's me. Some writers think an editor should be able to edit anything and stay objective. To me, this is unrealistic.

The last time I edited a story I didn't want to edit because of the plot, and told the writer I hated the story idea because I couldn't relate to it (we'd worked together before and he knew why I hated the idea), he insisted I still look at it and give him feedback. Because we had history and I liked the writer, I read it. I told him what he didn't want to hear, that I thought he needed to do some revising, mainly cutting, that the story didn't get interesting until the end. He took it personally, and this was knowing that I didn't like the story line to begin with and that I didn't want to read the story. This is my idea of Editor's Hell, and I don't want to go through this again. I want to enjoy my editing projects, not battle with an author.

 

[sr71plt]

It's not necessary to like the story you are editing, but if enjoyment of the story is part of the reason you edit, it's OK if you don't agree to edit what you don't enjoy. I've had to edit a whole lot of political stuff I thought was barf. As long as I could understand their line of reasoning from their perspective, it actually helped me concentrate on the copy editing aspect.

 

[LadyVer]

Hey Pilot! I was starting to think maybe you had kicked the bucket. Haven't seen you around lately, but then I haven't been around much myself.

 

[lovecraft68]

Wonder if this could be divided between like and squick. As in you may be able to edit something you think just isn't a great story, but wouldn't go near something that you find offensive. Like incest or rape or whatever gets to you.

 

[PennLady]

Wonder if this could be divided between like and squick. As in you may be able to edit something you think just isn't a great story, but wouldn't go near something that you find offensive. Like incest or rape or whatever gets to you.

It's probably a little like that, but I could edit a non-con or incest or other story -- and I have -- that has subject matter I don't like. Even depraved sex should be grammatically correct.

It's certainly a more enjoyable experience if I like the story, on the whole, but like I said, if I'm looking for fairly objective stuff like consistency or punctuation, then I can do that regardless of the subject matter. I don't have to, but I could.

 

[lovecraft68]

It's probably a little like that, but I could edit a non-con or incest or other story -- and I have -- that has subject matter I don't like. Even depraved sex should be grammatically correct.

It's certainly a more enjoyable experience if I like the story, on the whole, but like I said, if I'm looking for fairly objective stuff like consistency or punctuation, then I can do that regardless of the subject matter. I don't have to, but I could.

Right, but that means you can for lack of a better word "handle it" I'm referring to some people for whom-maybe due to a personal experience-can't handle certain things.

But a volunteer editor would deal with that far less than a paid one I suppose. A VE can say, sorry I won't touch that, but if you're paid you may not have the option.

 

[_Lynn_]

Right, but that means you can for lack of a better word "handle it" I'm referring to some people for whom-maybe due to a personal experience-can't handle certain things.

But a volunteer editor would deal with that far less than a paid one I suppose. A VE can say, sorry I won't touch that, but if you're paid you may not have the option.

I've edited most categories here and my past didn't interfere with any of them. If someone can't handle a category because of some personal experience, then they're giving that experience too much power over them and their life.

 

[LadyVer]

I could see where someone's past may be part of what they decide to edit, although it's probably more of a personal reading preference than anything. I don't enjoy reading a lot of categories, although there are stories I'll edit from categories that I don't usually read. Like BDSM or Mind Control (on the light side). Most readers have preferences and won't read stories in categories or genres they don't like. There's nothing wrong with that.

 

[jezzaz]

I don't think so. Sometimes it may be better to not be so invested in a story, you can keep a more objective eye on it. If you are looking for continuity problems, plot holes, etc., along with punctuation, it doesn't matter to me if I like it.

LOL. *cough*. Yes.

 

[LrseFauc]

Thanks for your answers!

I'was looking for an editor, and it seemed natural to me, that no one is willing to spend time for a story, he ore she didn't like. Soon I recognized, that some editors seem indifferent if they like the story or not, and I begun to wonder.

It's a good point, that if you appreciate the story too much, you could lost focus in beeing critical.

If I would be an editor (but I can't be an editor, at least not in English) I would refuse stories, I didn't have sympathy for. In my opinion it would be much harder work to edit a unliked story.

It is often amazing to assert, how different people could be!

Thank you, editors in offering your skills, experience and time!

 

[robertreams]

Pilot has been busy writing 2 Christmas stories.

Look at it this way. A professional editor edits whatever comes across their desk.

 

[PennLady]

LOL. *cough*. Yes.

Hush, you.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Surely copy editing is impervious to content? For literary editing you look for someone who has a tad of empathy with the subject but can give advice on the structure of the story.

 

[sr71plt]

The editing process is impervious to content, but this isn't the same as the copyeditor being impervious to content. If you work for someone else as an editor, you take what comes or change jobs. If you work for yourself, you can let the content influence whether or not you want the editing job.

A major issue for me on this is the fact checking that goes along with editing. My mainstream editing work concentrates on military, diplomatic, and intelligence affairs, with much of it in recent years dealing with terrorism. For the publishers I edit for, I take what comes. Working this area also means, though, that I have self-publishing authors in that area wanting to send work my way, as well--a lot of it conspiracy theory or rockets rattling type content. I choose not to do some of this work because it's so far out on the fringe content wise that I'd be tied up in knots in trying to rectify the "facts" as I research them and how/what the author wants to go with as "facts." Thus, I turn more than half of the self-publishing work down--and it's because of the content.

Thus, for erotica and volunteer editing, I could see that content could be very important to whether the editor accepts the work.

 

[MrDeep]

The quick answer is NO! I spent years as a newspaper editor. Not all stories does an editor like. But the ones you do like, you love!